New instrument shows promise as low-cost alternative to robot
Researchers at the University of Michigan (U-M), Ann Arbor, have invented a new surgical instrument with the goal of addressing a vast, unmet need in minimally invasive surgery. For less than a thousand dollars, this platform technology—currently being commercialized by the start-up FlexDex Surgical—offers capabilities similar to those of the…
Customer service can make or break a patient's experience
Healthcare providers and their patients have benefited from practices borrowed from other industries—for example, the checklists and time-outs used in aviation or the Lean management principles used in manufacturing. Applying lessons learned in the entertainment industry to the hospital setting may seem like a stretch, but Dennis Snow will explore…
Employee engagement: The path to better patient care--Part 2
Nurse engagement and leadership development were among the top concerns cited in a recent survey of healthcare leaders who reflected on challenges in nursing. To engage the nurse workforce, leaders themselves must be engaged, perioperative services leaders recently told OR Manager. In part 1 of this two-part series, they discussed…
Cost data persuade surgeons to be more frugal
Surgeons usually don’t have a high awareness of costs, partly because they haven’t had an easy way to know them. An unfortunate byproduct of this lack of knowledge can be higher OR costs. “Imagine what it’s like if, when you go to the grocery store, there are no price tags,…
Research explores relationship between SSIs and nurse education
Are there nursing characteristics such as certification status or educational attainment that impact surgical site infection rates? The answer to questions such as this may provide evidence of modifiable factors that could lessen surgical site infections (SSIs) and thus decrease the financial and emotional impact from these adverse events. The…
Efforts to improve FCOTS may reduce overutilized OR time
Ccommon cost-saving strategies in the OR include increasing workflow efficiency, reducing turnover times, implementing standardized preoperative protocols, and improving surgical case scheduling and first case on-time starts (FCOTS). These interventions aim to decrease under- and overutilized time in the OR, but there is conflicting evidence about their economic value. Many…
Importance of factors associated with nurse retention
Editor's Note Clinical and managerial competence, engagement with employees, and presence on the unit were the most important factors for retaining a satisfied nursing workforce in this study. A total of 279 nurses at a 391-bed Magnet hospital were surveyed with the Baptist Health Nurse Retention Questionnaire. Results showed that…
Effect of RN age, experience on transformational leadership qualities
Editor's Note Transformational leadership qualities develop throughout an RN’s career, even outside of upper management levels, finds this study. Earlier studies have shown that leadership capabilities are strongest within CNO and director positions. The study, which included 261 active RNs, also shows that those with management experience and more than…
Employee engagement: The path to better patient care--Part 1
What’s the best strategy for OR leaders to boost productivity, reduce costs, and, most important, provide excellent patient care? Ensure staff are engaged. Staff engagement has become something of a buzzword in healthcare, but for good reason. “Employee engagement is the bull’s-eye on the target of providing excellent patient care,”…
New staffing schedule unclogs PACU bottleneck
Perioperative services is a key driver for financial performance, and efficient use of space and staffing is vital in the current era of declining reimbursement. A bottleneck in any of the three phases of surgery—pre-, intra-, and postoperative—can result in long delays as well as surgeon, anesthesiologist, and staff anxiety…
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